Nissan

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Canto / Brand Innovation

Canto or Italian for "I Sing" is the sound of Nissan's future fleet of electric vehicles. This demonstration of the vehicles' new soundscapes starts with the reverse alert before transitioning to the "engine" acceleration and deceleration, painting an image of the roadways of the future.

The Big Picture

Electric and Autonomous vehicles are naturally silent, which helps to actively decrease noise pollution on our streets, but poses a threat to pedestrians. Now there are new international regulations requiring EVs to make sound, creating an interesting quandary for marketing and R&D alike: what should the future of our roads sound like? How can we solve for the sound of safety? How can we design a sound that will better the airways of our city streets?

Man Made Music partnered with Nissan, to develop Canto the sound of Nissan’s future fleet of EVs. The development of Canto, as a core dimension of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, was a push forward by the brand into a new and innovative approach to how vehicles of the future will be powered, driven, and integrated into society.

The Challenge

Dive Deeper

Man Made Music was tasked will crafting the proprietary sound of Nissan’s future fleet of electric vehicles which would deliver on desired brand attributions, fulfill international regulations, and respond to Nissan’s “Zero Emissions” value as it applies to EVs. Through collaborative working sessions with cross cultural and cross departmental stake holders, Man Made crafted a unique sonic design that struck a balance between these complex and occasionally conflicting requirements.

The Approach

Our Vision

Man Made Music’s creative team developed a new approach to the work through sonic prototyping. A spectrum of sonic palettes exploring a range of organic and electronic sounds were created and tested using a pedal that simulated the relationship between the physical acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle and the subsequently generated audio. Man Made Music also incorporated its proprietary research capability, SonicPulse®, to ensure we delivered a bespoke sonic solution for Nissan’s electric fleet that hit key metrics for awareness, emotional appeal and brand attribution.

The Results

Impact and Value

Canto, the sound of Nissan’s future fleet of electric vehicles will roll out in accordance with international regulation in the next 1-2 years. The sounds of our city streets may never be the same.

“Our mantra with electric vehicles is zero emissions, which of course applies to the exhaust of the vehicles, but we wanted to carry that forward into the sound…Between meeting the regulation, providing a brand sound and meeting our zero emissions objective – it was quite a challenge for Man Made. I’m very happy with where we ended up, it’s a really exciting time for our industry.” – Nic Thomas, Global Director EV – Nissan Motor Co.